Her Knight in Shining Armor
by Widoh
Summary: One day, when walking home from school, Yuigahama meets two guys that get a little too pushy. Who comes to save her? Who else, other than our notorious hero?
1. Chapter 1

Is kindness even real?

I would like to present a shocking truth; Kindness as you know it does not exist. All "nice" people are massive hypocrites, and the nicer they are the more of a hypocrite they become.

Imagine this: A starving child on the streets asks you for 300 yen, or he'll die. Of course you give him the 300 yen. All riajjus would give him the 300 yen.

Who would be so heartless to refuse a starving child, and condemn him to death? Isn't my snack worth less then a life?

But what of the children who don't ask? Surely the act of asking does not make a specific child more worth saving.

Likewise for distance. It shouldn't matter how close or how far the child is.

If anyone really cared, they would dedicate their life to saving children. They would put every single penny they had to the cause. Because all "nice" people would agree that the shiny stuff they have wouldn't be worth a life.

So if there's no such thing as kindness, is it possible for there to be nice girls?

* * *

You know, these guys look really suspicious, and that's saying something, coming from me.

Before I introduce Fuijio-kun and Gako-kun, I have to do a small lesson on the ecology of loners.

People think that loners are a species, under the greater genus of _Altus Schola Discipilus_ , but that's doing a disservice to us non-conformists. You gotta put us in the right category, y'know?

Loners are actually a genus, under the class of _Altus Schola Discipulus_. In fact, I think there are more variants of loners then there are riajjus.

Those guys eventually form into the distinct "Sports Guy", "Comic Relief Guy", "Fashion/Rich Guy" , "Prententious Apple/Samsung Fanatic Guy",

"What do you mean, I can't constantly be on social media. Guy." Sometimes there are people who are a mix of some of these categories, but that's as interesting as they get.

Even slugs have more variants then riaajus. Normal personalities are so boring.

And that was why I decided to be a loner, because I have an interesting personality.(xd) Anyways, us individualists form very specific groups.

There's the "I'm honestly better than everyone else and I don't really value human contact, fuck off" Yukinoshita loner. These are the rarest by far. In fact, I think Yukinoshita is the only one of these I've ever seen.

But she has plenty of wanna-be imitators. That leads us to our second species.

"I'm socially inept and don't want to be, but since I have no other choice, I'll pretend like I'm above it all." Honestly, this kind of loner was the most insignificant. Why would you care about social interaction? It doesn't matter.

There's the "Circumstances have led me to a place in my life where I have no clear goals and nothing to fufill me and since there's nothing to give me purpose I'll imagine fantasies or play video games all day."

This is the Zaimokuza variant, and I'm pretty sure this is the most common species. You'll see these guys everywhere.

There's plenty more, but these are the relevant ones.

Fujio-kun fell under the second category, and had sparse grey hair and a thin build. His hands were slightly bigger porportionally then the rest of his body and stuttered when he spoke.

His partner in crime, Gako-kun was more of a third-category kind of guy. Gako-kun was more heavier set, and had bright splotches of red across his face. He on the other hand, seemed to be unable to say something without shouting.

They made an odd pair, but their friendship was formed with the strongest bond- the fear of being truly alone, so they stuck by each other's side.

Usually, these guys didn't really do anything that interesting. But recently they've been looking at Yuighama far too much, even considering the gravitational attraction of her Yui's. _Ahem_.

I sat in my usual seat ,shrugged off a backpack that weighed as much as I did, and kept a careful ear. Seriously, did the school not care that this was essentially slave labor? These textbooks weigh like five-hundred pounds!

Heaven forbid I need to bring my laptop, because on those days my spine just stops working. Maybe I should sue.

With these worthless thoughts in my head, I overheard snippets of conversation. These guys are way too loud. Maybe they don't realize I'm here? Wow, the points I put into [Stealth Hikki] have really been paying off these days.

"Hey, I think I've fallen for someone in ...lass."

"Really bro? Me to."

"Is it Yuighama?"

"Yeah, she's so nice. Her personalities, ahem personality is so good, don't you think?"

"I've fallen for her too I think. One time, she thanked me really enthusiastically when I opened a door for her. Maybe she's hinting that she's into me!"

"Gehhh"

Sorry. That last one was me making an involuntary sound of disgust. This reminds me too much of middle school, please stop I'm getting PTSD!

"We should totally confess someday dude."

"Are you retarded? Let's do it today. Imagine if one of us could score."

Stop using mental issues as bad punchlines. Anyways, this doesn't sound like good news.

"When though? During lunch?"

"Nahh dude, let's do it after school, so we get some alone time. Girls love it when you go the extra mile for them, so lets follow her out and confess in the street."

"Sounds like a plan."

This was going to be an issue. A major issue.

Yuigahama meanwhile, was attempting to balance her pencil on her nose, out of what I'm guessing is sheer boredom.

Her eyes are focused on the ceiling while her head is tilted back. Occasional huffs of concentration and humphs of exasperations can be heard.

Stop that, that's weird, childish,cute,strange and adorable.

Honestly though, I can't blame her. Kamoshida-sensei is giving us a long speil about the history of volleyball. Who cares about the history of volleyball?

Not me. And apparently, not Yuighama.

Oh look, the pencil fell. As she went to pick up the pencil, her eyes flickered up to mine.

"Ehh?"

Her hands spazzed out, shoulders shifted back, and her face blazed a deep crimson. She whipped her head back around towards Kamoshida-sensei's fascinating lecture and stuffed her hands into her lap.

Hey, at least pick up the pencil you left on the floor. Someone might trip on it.

And why are you sneaking glances at me? Are you checking to see if I'm still here? I thought even two-year olds understood object permenance. It's not like I'll dissapear, even though my [Stealth Hikki] is leveled really high.

What's worse, Fujio-kun is getting the wrong idea.

"Look, she's totally blushing man! I swear she was giving me " _the look_ " "

"Dude, she'll definetely accept if we confess."

Maybe she was giving them " _the look_ ". Maybe this was just late-spring romance blossoming. Maybe one day Hiratsuka-sensei will get married.

In any case, telling Yuigahama-san about this was out of the question. I'm not sure it's in Yuigahama to tell two random guys in her class to stop stalking her, and it'll probably just stress her out.

But that means the burden of the problem is on me, where it belongs.

Seriously though, stop trying to peek at me Yuigahama-san. Kamoshida-sensei is giving a stimulating presentation on ball elasticity.

* * *

"Hikki, why were you staring at me during class?"

After doing our usual "Why didn't you wait for me, I did wait for you" ritual we walked to the clubroom. I can't even tell if it's a running joke, because Yuighama-san is seriously forgetful.

"You were balancing a pencil on your nose. Besides, weren't you looking at me more?"

DEJA VU, I"VE BEEN IN THIS PLACE BEFORE.( _Drifting noises_ )

Yuighama made a pouting expression.

"That means you were looking at me the whole time, you know. It's super weird for us to be looking at each other so much during class

...right?"

"I can't really help it since you're right in front of me."

Yuigahama swung her pouch overhead, and gave me a light clobbering with it. Speaking of...

"Stupid Hikki. Read the mood."

"I don't think I've ever done that. Do I have to write a paper on the mood?"

Yuigahama raised her pouch threateningly, but I was saved by the bastion that is the club room.

* * *

Before I left, I asked Yukinoshita if I could borrow some of her textbooks.

She gave me a lecture about how if my fish hands and fish eyes and overall fishiness infected her books she would have to burn them and charge me for new copies.

Fine with me, I'd rather not use them.

"Hey Yuigahama, can I walk home with you today?"

"Huahhh? W-Where did this come from? Is this about class today? What is this?"

" You could've just said no."

"T-That's not what I meant. I was just surprised,that's all. It's alright if it's Hikki..."

Was this a jab at how nonthreatening I am? My masculinity was seriously hurt, woman.

I picked up my five-hundred pound bag. These things are seriously heavy...

"Whatever, let's go."

"Yeah! Let me get my stuff first."

After waiting for around fifteen minutes for Yuighama to collect her bearings, we left the school and walked towards the subway. Yuigahama was humming a merry tune that sounded sorta like

"hmm Hmmm HMM hmm hmm"

Doesn't really translate well onto paper. She was skipping too. Where do you find all the energy for all of this stuff? Do you do this everyday, just prance happily home? What happens when you have to stop or reach the Subway?

Maybe she does jumping jacks. Maybe she does high-knees. Wait, she might be a part of the planking craze, even though the last time I heard about that was eight years ago. Is Yuigahama-san the type of person to plank on the subway seats and take up 5 spaces by herself?

Maybe her huge chest takes up an extra sp-

That's them. Fuijio-kun had a comically large newspaper held in front of him, and Gako was doing an innocent whistle. Seriously guys? That has to be the most cliche way you could ever stalk anyone. Now's the time for me to act.

And by me acting, I mean telling Yuigahama "Be careful. These guys have been looking at you all week." and activating [SUPER MEGA ULTRA STEALTH HIKKI]. And by [SUPER MEGA ULTRA STEALTH HIKKI] I mean just walking away and pretending to be interested in a random street vendor.

Yuighama gave me a curious look, and started towards me, but was stopped by Fuijio-kun's outstretched hand.

"I've been in love with you for the longest time, please go out with me!"

Fuijio-kun spluttered out.

Yuigahma-san looked profoundly uncomfortable.

"Uhh... Fuja-kun? I didn't know you felt that way about me. Sorry, I already have someone else I like."

Fuijio-kun's face went stark white, and started muttering under his breath. His fists clenched, and I could make out "...doesn't even know my name"

That's harsh buddy.

Gako-kun smirked, and strolled forward confidently.

"And that someone is me. You want to go out for coffee right now?"

Yuigahama now looked slightly disturbed.

"Sorry Gato-kun. Maybe you should ask someone else? You're a nice guy though!"

It was now Gato-ku, I mean Gako-kun's turn to overreact. His face flushed the darkest crimson I've ever seen, and his left eye started twitching.

"What...wha.."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

Fuijio-kun gave an uncharacteristically loud shout, and both of them started surrounding her.

"I've heard of this. She's just playing hard to get. She thinks it makes her more attractive."

"You're already attractive, drop the act and go out with me."

Yuigahama was backing up, but she was quite literally being cornered against a wall.

As awful, misinformed, and tacky their respective confessions were, I had no right to stop them.

Even if they weren't from the heart, they were still confessions, and they still took courage. But this is where I step in.

Strolling away from my half-eaten noodle soup, I placed myself between Yuigahama-san and the goon twins.

"Leave her alone"

Fuijio-kun raised his eyebrows and Gato-kun glared at me.

"Who's this? Do you want to impress her? She's going out with me, sorry"

"Hikitani? Are you trying to live your fantasies of saving a girl? You don't do anything in class, don't interfere now."

I said nothing, only walking forward, so Yuighama would have a chance to run. I gave her a hard look that I hope said "Run away, get help."

But she stood transfixed, not moving at all.

"Let's teach this guy a lesson."

Both of them raised their fists, and prepared to beat several colors of crap out of me.

While I'm no Guru or Kungfu-master, I knew the two main rules of fights from my dad's drunk rants.

1\. _Fights are tiring_

I was in slightly better shape then these guys because I biked to school everyday, and even then my stamina was pretty bad. Regular fights lasted around 2 minutes before both parties were too exhausted to throw punches.

I suspected that this one would last even less. So all I need to do is make it through 2 minutes.

2\. _More people make fights exponentially harder_

This wasn't some tacky anime. I couldn't reasonably be expected to overpower two people working together against me.

But I held hope that these guys were more out of shape then they looked, and that they've never been in a fight before. I mean, I haven't either, but stopping an attack is easier then starting one.

Fuijio came in with a lazy right hook that bounced off my wrist. Ouch. Gako howled and thrust forward both of his palms as if blasting magical fire.

Both of his palms struck my chest, and since it was his palms instead of his fists, I was just pushed back a few inches instead of taking damage.

Fuijio's left fist swung through where I would've been if I wasn't pushed by his helpful assistant. Total team-fight synergy.

All the while Yuighama still refused to run, just watching the fight like a deer in the headlights.

Fujio unleashed furious,uncoordinated punches that left me sore and seeing spots. Gako was doing strangely complicated Kung-fu moves so all I felt from him was the occasional kick or strange punch.

Seriously, this guy tried to do the backward-leaning punch and ended up falling on his ass.

My fists dropped for a second, tired from the constant abuse, and Fujio landed a strike on my head. I almost blacked out, but Fuijio's punches were lacking the speed and energy of his previous ones. Gako too, was slowing down and starting to wheeze.

After the attack was halted for several blessed seconds, I took a peek from behind my fists at the two. Both were swaying, tired, huffing short breaths.

Now.

With the last of my strength, I lifted my bag with both my and Yukinoshinta's textbooks, and just dropped it on Gako. He fell beneath it, unable to oppose the amount of useless information that I was forced to learn for ten years.

Fuijio flinched, and stepped back, slowly breaking into a run, leaving just me and a unconscious Gako. Oh, and Yuigahama. Thank god, because I don't think I could've lifted it a second time.

"You should've ran to get help Yuigaha-"

Yuigahma-san's mouth was half open, her eyes were sparkling, and she was giving me a strange look that made me stop halfway through my sentence.

"Hikki..."

"I'm sore everywhere. Let's go quickly so I can go home"

She walked up slowly, not saying a word, and suddenly gave me a bone crushing hug. Then she started sobbing into my shirt.

Hey lady! I just did laundry, and if you think I'm doing it again,you're sorely mistaken.(heh, sorely)

I didn't really know what to do here, as this was new territory, so I just raised one of my hands to stroke her head. It's what I did whenever Komachi started crying on me.

Eventually, her crying died down, and she raised her tear stained face out of my shirt.

 _Her face is so close..._

A/N:

Ayyy it's a new story. I mean to put this in Changing of the Seasons for Yui, but it became longer then I expected, and developed into this. Don't worry, I'll think of something else for that.

Anyways, how'd I do? How's my writing? I think I might've gone overboard with the "I hate everything" 8-man. What's your favorite flavor of Jello? Hit me up with those reviews, fam.


	2. Chapter 2

It's said that everybody is born with a blank slate, and that every new soul is an empty book waiting to be written. I think it's unfair to books to compare them to people.

Books have twists and turns, hidden depths, and deeper meanings. People have stories that are woven through them, except these aren't made to entertain or to educate. These just _are_.

So they're predictable and boring. For example, when's the last time you've done something unpredictable or out of character? Not something that would surprise other people, something truly surprising given the context it's done in. Most people are condemned to walk narrow paths and stick to their pre-written stories.

With that in mind, can you truly blame anyone for the actions they take? Can you berate someone for being who they are? For taking the obvious choices?

Actually, yes.

* * *

It felt like a frozen moment in time, Yui clinging to my shirt, us looking at each other. All I could hear were her heaving breaths and all I could feel was the tremor in her hands.

Why was she so shaken up? If anything, I should be terrified right now because of Yukinoshita, for what's going to happen when she hears I damaged her textbooks.

We were shaken out of our reverie by a shout of "You darn brats!" and the hurried footsteps of old leather shoes on alleyway concrete. What looked, and sounded like an angry old man came charging towards us, lecture already prepared.

Maybe we got lucky and it just _seems_ like an angry old man. Maybe it's a duck.

I expected Yuighama to stand up and apologize for whatever he was going to accuse us of, not leaping behind my back and leaving me to deal with this guy. I knew women were high-maintenance, but I never expected it to be this bad.

"Don't the kids these days know to take it indoors? What's the meaning of doing it so boldly in public?"

"Sir, I think you have the wrong idea..."

I had to listen to this nut give me a twenty minute lecture about inappropriate public relations and how "back in my day, we needed to hike up a mountain to get a condom in the freezing snow." All the while Yui was pressed up against my back, clutching my shirt, and being really distracting.

I know that we had nothing to be afraid of, and that the old man's suspicions were totally baseless, but with Yuigahama's fearsome weights, uhh, weight pressed up against me my thoughts began to stray.

All of this made it super awkward when the geezer finally gave up on us and went home. I'm used to being in uncomfortable social situations, but this takes the cake.

"Hikki... That was unexpected,eheheh..."

Yuigahama gave her best attempt at a light-hearted chuckle. Stop, you're making it even worse!

"You alright to go home now?"

"Yeah...But what about Gako-kun? Should we just leave him like that?"

"He'll probably wake up with just a light headache and a massive grudge. I don't want to be anywhere close to him when he does, so let's leave quickly."

"O.."

Yuigahama hesitated for a second, clearly wanting to remark on something.

"Ok!"

And so I gingerly picked up my backpack, making sure not to disturb Gako-kun. Actually, I don't have to care about waking him up because I could always just drop the bag again. Fortunately Gako-kun was out for good and didn't even stir when we started walking away.

Rather unfortunately though, Yuigahama also appears to be asleep at the wheel. My captain, my captain! Why do you have to hold on to me so?

No but seriously Yuigahama we're in public now please stop hugging my arm.

"Hey Yui are you ok with this? It's sorta..."

I nodded towards my own arm, and Yui finally realized what she was doing and flushed red. But again defying my expectations, she held on even tighter and began mumbling under her breath.

"Just... Just for today Hikki, please. Let me be selfish."

You're totally being selfish, think of the damage this could cause to my reputation as a loner! I could lose social standing with the people with no social standing. Maybe my loner licence would get revoked and I would no longer be allowed to drive the company car.( A Volkswagen golf with a single seat).

That aside, I don't think that it would be good for Yuigahama either. Someone from our school could see us like this and get suspicious, or...

I didn't know how to voice the frustrations I had. I couldn't put them into words or form coherent thoughts, but I saw the corners of a problem. Yuigahama changing like this probably wasn't a good thing.

"Hikki, what happens tommorow? We're telling Hiratsuka-sensei about this right?"

And this was the crux of another problem. Since we have no hard evidence, this would essentially be our words against Fujio-kun's and Gako-kun's. Maybe Hiratsuka-sensei would believe us, and that's a teneous maybe, but something this serious would be outside of her general jurisdiction.

And even if we got the fact of the matter through, even if they were willing to listen to us, the burden of suspicion and proof would be on us. We went up to the authorities, we needed to provide the proof. And say they believed us, the bruises speak for themselves. Fujio-kun and Gako-kun could just claim ignorance of their actions, or that they didn't intend to be so aggressive during their confessions.

They could claim that they were just about to back off, and we would be none the wiser. And say by some miracle of divine intervention, the school listens to us and believes our side of the story and believes I was justified in fighting. I'd still probably be expelled along with the goon twins because of the zero-tolerance policies freshly implemented.

Of course, the goon twins would be expelled and Yuigahama would be safe at school, but what about after school? In their minds I was already punished, and they had no idea where I lived or where I was. But some say there is no hatred like love scorned, except this would be there is no prepubescent rage like being made to look this pathetic in-front of a "love" interest.

I mean, I don't think they were completely brain dead. They must've realized how much they screwed up, and when Gako-kun gets home I'm willing to bet solid money that Yuighama's metaphorical rejection hurt worse then my backpack.

They would get frustrated with themselves, and then turn that frustration on to Yuigahama.

"Let's not. They weren't much of a threat anyways. I doubt they'll do something like this again."

These words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But this was the only way to put the burden back on my shoulders, back on the person who deserved it.

"A..Alright Hikki. I trust you."

Those words made me feel bitter and better. Again, I had the faint sense that something went wrong somewhere and that the goon twins weren't the only ones I had to contend with later.

But Yuigahama was such an eager and earnest soul. As she gave me a smile free from all traces of malice, I found myself holding onto her arm, in turn.

Y'know, to comfort her.

* * *

After I finished dropping Yuigahama off at her house, and after successfully dodging Yuigahamama by putting emphasis on an imaginary curfew, I arrived home.

"phew.."

My shoulders sagged, tension easing out of them. I didn't realize that I was wound so tightly, and I really didn't realize how much these damn bruises hurt.

"Onii-chan! You're late! Like, really late! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Komachi sprung up from the couch she was napping on, and gave me a grumpy look. Wow, I didn't even see you there. Maybe [Stealth Hikki]'s a heriditary skill, one that had been passed down through the Hikigaya family through generations. That would certainly explain why I don't see dad around here anymore.

"Something came up and I had to stay out for a little, sorry. It's just for tonight though."

Komachi narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"You know Onni-chan" she wagged her finger at me. "In all the years we've been together, I've never seen you stay out late for a good reason, like hanging out with friends. It's always "I forgot my book" or " I was reading and lost track of time " or "I don't want to talk to Dad today, I'm gonna stay at this ramen restaurant until I'm kicked out."

"Being so suspicious of me is seriously lacking in points."

"But I get the points back because I know you so well. I care about you, Scum-nii Chan . Kyaa! There's some extra."

Komachi did her signature squeal. It should be a crime to be so cute and mean at the same time. Maybe I'll run for president with an "imouto regulation platform" and if you didn't have one, you were given a clone of Komachi. On second thought, I'd rather not everyone win the lottery. I've drawn the short stick enough times, now you want to take away the one time I got lucky with Komachi?

Hmmm.. I should probably word that better.

"I'm pretty sure getting points went out the window the second you called me scum."

"Stop dodging the question.."

"I was with Yuigahama, y'know? Stop worrying."

I mean that's technically true. Doesn't that count as going out with friends? Hah, have I defied your expectations my dear imouto? Be astounded! Be surprised! Be awed!

Komachi gave a small frown and looked me up and down.

"So why do you look so roughed up? Did you get in a fight with a cat or something on your date? Were you actually out with Yuigahama?"

Uhh... About that.

"I have her phone number you know. Don't even think of lying to me."

"It's true, honest! Ask her all you like."

"That still doesn't explain why you look like you've been through a blender."

"Stuff came up."

"..."

"..."

Komachi's playful expression dropped and she gave me a long searching look.

"Hmm.. If Onni-chan doesn't want to talk about it, I don't think I could get him to talk about it."

Whew, that's a relief.

Her face lit up.

"I could always just ask Yuigahama-san what happened! And if she doesn't know,

*ominous knuckle cracking*

then I'll just have to use more... straightforward methods."

I'm getting seriously freaked out right now. My little sister can't be this scary! What is this devil pretending to be my little sister and where is my Komachi?

Her gaze softened a tad.

"I got a bath ready. Your face looks even worse then usual so you must be exhausted."

I take that back. God has heard my plea and he is a just god. Forgive me for my doubts, Komachi. Man's heart has no faith and is easily fickle. Let the waters of Lethe cleanse me of all my sins, and birth me anew.

Ahh, there's nothing like a hot bath to relax the body and spirit. But my thoughts kept going back to the events that transpired earlier today.

As I rested the back of my neck on the cold porcelain and stared up into the shower head, I began to wonder

 _Are people immutable, unchangeable, destined to stick to one character? Or are they fluid, uncertain things that define themselves by their respective anchors? And which is worse?_

 **A/N**

 **It's me, your boy. Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited and followed and read my work.**

 **First things first, I'm looking for a beta writer/reader(I dunno what they're called). I dunno how the system works and all, but someone to fix my grammar and spelling errors and hold me accountable would really be great. It'd also help get the chapters out a lot faster.**

 **jordonlink7856- Yeah, I'm not very good at creating OC's. That's why I'm stealing from Oregairu. Goon twins should get some development next chapter as proper antagonists though.**

 **Predator7- He does, doesn't he. Feels like he'll be too lazy for that sorta thing though.**

 **EpicMs,TheDarkHollow-Glad you liked it! I was going for realism, because I feel that's sorta central to who 8-man is.**

 **Kou- I don't even know what "quit" means**

 **wildarms13-Your wish is my command**

 **VernoSS-thx bb**

 **This chapter is mostly setup so it's pretty short** **, but I'll get the stuff rolling in the next couple of chapters. Let me know how I did! How did you like this chapter versus the last one? Anything I should work on? Who is the best member of BTS and why is it Jungkook?**


	3. Chapter 3

Is there such a thing as a perfect relationship? One rendered without flaws, without vice, without the interference of self-awareness?

I'd argue yes.

The relationship between man and fast-food vendor is one of the few sacred things in this world. And like all sacred and holy things, it is gatekept from those who seek to defile it.

Assholishness is a sort of bottom up behavior. Sometimes assholes won't be assholes towards those in higher positions,like teachers or bosses, but you can bet that they'll double down their douchebaggery on everybody below them.

And the vendors themselves, although downtrodden, have the practiced ability of identifying and enduring human waste. Hammered into them through hours of experience, their eyes will twitch slightly, they'll have an strangely hard time understanding your order, and you'll end up with a coke that tastes oddly of human saliva.

But if you treat the vendor like a human being, you reap the rewards. It is easy to mistake the uninvestment/uninterest of the cashier for complete indifference. The cashier cares, he just doesn't care alot. You know what he wants, he knows what you want, there's no pretense of anything.

It's an almost perfect symbiotic relationship.

* * *

Yukinoshita Yukino,as flawless and clear as the window behind her, was lost in thought.

As she flipped through the novel she was reading, an uninspired story about an orphan who grew up with wolves, a slight frown graced her face. She was cold, still, and held the picturesque porcelain position of royalty.

She's not blind, you know. She's aloof, above it all, superior to those she interacts with. She was perfectly content to just stay here alone, as she had done for all of her life. She was fine, in-fact, more then fine, and the book was enough to capture her attention.

But she was allowed curiosity, surely. Even the perfect are curious, and she wondered what Hachiman and Yuigahama were up to. It was fifteen minutes into the scheduled club, and Yukinoshita, being a faithful student, had been here for twenty. Yuigahama was a sporadic attendee, sometimes coming in early, sometimes coming in extremely late, stumbling over herself to apologize and then stumbling into Yukinoshita's personal space.

Yuigahama being late was forgivable, but Hachiman being this late without forewarning was odd. Was Hiratsuka-sensei losing her edge? Maybe she needed to lower her expectations of Hikigaya-kun even further, if that was at all possible.

She smirked, a picture forming in her head of Hikigaya-kun in Hiratsuka-sensei's headlock, with an overexaggerated expression of desperation

under her gloating sadism. Lost in thought, one of her fingers came to a rest on the coarse paper of the book she was reading.

She started to twirl her finger over the pages, making a silent rhythm of " _scratch.. ..hsss_..".

But since this was Yukinoshita, even an unconcious action was graceful, practiced.

It was almost the exact opposite of the nervous tic of Hachiman, or the oblivious actions of Yuigahama, for it was a poised conductor taking center stage.

 _hiss_

Yukinoshita knew, for all she made fun of Hachiman, that he was uniquely capable. Before, she never thought much of the innocent bystander her chauffer put in danger. After learning about what type of person he was, she thought even less of him.

The service club was her creation, a way for her to lead her responsibility, a misguided soul, onto the path towards redemption.

But

 _scratch_

But why was she the one constantly being saved? When they first met, she had declared herself and her ideals superior to his.

Save the world instead of ending it. She fumed at his stubborness, at his inability to realize that change was possible.

Then why...

 _hiss_

Why were his solutions the ones that worked? Intelligence means nothing without achievement, and he achieved far more then she ever did in the service club.

An easy way out would be to say that she didn't sacrifice aything, that he had to become a martyr. But that was part of his unique ability, was it not? And if you look at the results, his strength outstripped hers long ago.

He was still insufferable of course. Insufferable...

Her heartstrings tugged, pulled by some unknown melody

 _scratch_

* * *

I didn't have to deal with anyone today, which was good return to routine. Yuigahama did her usual class things, I did my usual class things, even the goon twins and the riaajjus were quiet and unassuming.

The best kind of day, a day when I didn't have to deal with people.

I stuffed my books into my bag, and flipped it up over my shoulder.

 _nudge_

As I was walking, I saw Yuigahama out of the corner of my eye leaning against a wall, in my spot actually. The nerve of her.

"Yo."

"Hey, Hikki! Eto..."

She made a small gesture towards the concrete behind her.

Who cares about the concrete behind you? Have you invented a more efficient building material? I don't think sandbags or paint will improve that wall behind you, really. I don't see why it needs improvement, or attention.

She pouted, seeing my blank stare. It's one of my most important 108 skills. Feign stupidity. It's pretty easy to learn, since most people are close enough anyway.

She steeled herself, and glanced up.

"I decided to change things up today! I waited for you this time.."

Who decided things needed changing? I like the status quo, thank you very much. I don't really have to do anything, and days I can be lazy are generally good days.

"thanks, thanks.."

Yuigahama fidgeted nervously, almost seeking approval. I don't know what this is all about, but I have the strange feeling I'm getting messed with here. Maybe Hayato will pop out a corner and shout "It's just a prank bro" and everyone will laugh at his sheer originality.

"Oh, I forgot. I need to go help Hiratsuka-sensei with grading some freshman papers."

"Ehhh? Isn't she a teacher? Why can't she grade her papers?"

"This is Hirastuka-sensei we're talking about. Besides, she's going to some mixer to try to meet someone desperate enough to marry her. Don't tell anyone though, she swore me to secrecy."

Yui's face took on a sympathetic grimace, a cross between pity and disappointment.

"Poor Sensei... Actually, why can't she get Yukino or Hayama to do it? No offense, but.."

Yui's thoughts caught up with her mouth, and she peeked at my face shyly.

"Sorry..."

she petered out.

Wow, usually people aren't so careful about offending me. And when I say that, I mean not careful at all. Is this what being a riajju feels like?

"Don't apologize. Apparently they were too virtuous and too respectable for that sort of thing."

Translated, it means she didn't feel bad about forcing me to do it.

"Tell Yukinoshita I'm going to be late to club today."

I pivoted on my heel and spun towards the Teachers office, already regretting agreeing to Hiratsuka's ridiculous request. I mean, taking me out for ramen a few times doesn't mean I have to do your job for you. I'm gonna need some really large beef bowls to make up for this!

As I entered her office and settled down with her papers, the task was suddenly much more daunting. These freshmen had no clue what they were writing about, how to write, I doubt most of them did any research. Am I allowed to just fail everybody? Is that how these teacher positions work?

Let's get started then

 _An analysis on best girl- Clearly, Haru Onodera is objectively superior in every conceivable way. A quick review and operating off of her actions and intentions during the show, we can see that she is type INT-J, hardworking and caring. Her astrology sign is Sagittarius, giving her significant connection to the main character, and displays the red string of fate in motion._

Uh... I mean, it was well researched. But is this really what you want to write a school paper on? And what about literally anybody but the main love interest's little sister?

Whatever, 87/100. I'm impressed with the amount of dedication put into this.

 _Pineapple_ _pizza is a sin to humanity, only second to the major genocides. Pizza is not only a delicious food, it is a symbol of eastern democracy, invented in Europe. There's a reason it was banned in North Korea and took so long to catch on in China. Clearly, the corruption of the epitome of freedom should be regarded as an attack on..._

What? What's with these topics? Did Hiratsuka-sensei just tell them to pick the most inane things they could think of? No, this can't be on purpose. It's too confusing to be on purpose.

As I dove into my work, and the sound of a scratching pen and ruffling hair filled the room, I failed to notice the room had another occupant.

Only when I finally took a well-deserved break after fixing all the grammar mistakes in " _Advantages of Korean Sunscreen over Japanese Brands.",_ I glanced up and noticed her.

"Wha.. How long have you been here?"

"Ehh..Since you started?"

Yuigahama raised a finger to abashedly scratch her cheek.

Why was that a question? And why aren't you with Yukino? Don't you know that in order to unlock her H-Scene you need to spend at least 300 hours with her before graduation day? You gotta reload from your last save now.

"What? Are you a stalker? Yuigahama, it's not healthy to stalk people, y'knoooooow."

Damn, might've been a little too much Isshiki there.

Instead of laughing at me like Orimoto would, or being repulsed by me like Yukino would, Yuigahama turned a shade of light pink and started stuttering denials.

I mean, yeah I guess it would be embarrassing to be accused of stalking me. I mean, it's me we're talking about.

I waved her off.

"Whatever, just wait a little bit till I finish these papers, then let's go to the club."

I returned to my work with a vigor, but this time I could feel palpable tension in the air. Riajjus abhor silence, they find any stupid thing to talk about to fill the void. Of course I was different, detached, but this stupid riajju magic is still compelling me to do say something, do something to cut through the quiet.

I snuck a peek at her through the corner of my eye, and saw she was intently focused with something in my general vicinity. Maybe she was memorizing what Sensei's office looked like,for when she inevitably had to come back for help with schoolwork.

Somehow, I managed to get through all this garbage. Literal garbage. Honestly, I can sympathize with Sensei now. I just hope the time I bought for her would return results.

 _You can do it!_ _I_ _'m cheering for you!_ _Especially since if no-one else takes you, I'll be forced to._

* * *

 _creak_

 _scratch_

Hikigaya-kun was the first to enter into the room, Yuigahama following swiftly behind. Yukinoshita propped the book on the desk, carefully closed it and gave a disdainful glare towards the recent arrivals.

"Do you have an explanation for why you were both so late?"

"Oh shoot... I forgot to text you, Yukino. I'm really sorry.."

Yuigahama almost leaped to the other side of the room, and got a little _too_ close to Yukinoshita, to the point where their shoulders were touching.

Hachiman raised an eyebrow, no doubt misinterpreting the situation.

"Hiratsuka-sensei had... urgent business to attend to. I covered some of her duties"

"I see, so even garbage like you can be useful. Maybe one day you can chase your lofty ambition of becoming a teachers assistant,."

"I _was_ actually doing work. Sensei was going to make you do it instead if I didn't agree. You should be thanking me, really."

Yukino was skeptical, but decided not to push it. There wasn't anything else Hachiman would do in the meantime, after all. It's not like he was blowing the club off to go hang out with friends.

"So why was Yuigahama with you?"

Yuigahama and Hachiman both exchanged questioning glances, as if trying to decide on what they should say, criminals that forgot to share their testimonies.

Yuigahama, suprisingly, took the initiative on this one. "J-Just coincidence! I was in counseling for work, and I ran into Hikki on the way here."

Yukinoshita grew even more skeptical, but saw no reason to question her. It was only one club period after all, and it's not like they were swamped with requests.

A common error one makes when facing Yukinoshita is that she seems too distant to be observant. Not so. She's almost as observant as Hachiman, and she hides it almost as well. Of course she noticed the embarrassed flush on Yuigahama during her excuse. The only logical deduction here is that they both went somewhere, and did something that they found necessary to cover-up.

She'd be loathe to admit it, but she's slightly hurt by the lack of trust. Friends were supposed to be honest with each other, what changed?

It felt like something important changed with Yuigahama. A shift in what she did, in how she interacted.

Something about it made her uncomfortable.

Yuigahama spent a rather long time looking at Hikigaya-san's face. A rather long time, tracing his jawline,

 _rough_

his high cheekbones,

 _delicate and gentle_

his eyes

 _dark and brooding._

She probably spent a lot of time thinking about his hair to. How it would feel to have run her fingers through the coarse black, to take the back of his head and..

"-Eep!"

Yukinoshita's face flushed, a break in character, mind wandering into dangerous places. The subject of her frustration turned towards her with a questioning expression, turning slowly into one of satisfaction. He certainly didn't know why she was unsettled, but he would be damned if he couldn't enjoy this temporary weakness.

Yukinoshita sniffed and looked away in response, the only proper answer to such immaturity.

Yuigahama was still staring at Hachiman, and even Yukinoshita picked up on a little... something in her gaze. She could just be overthinking and imagining things. Even if she wasn't, why would she care about her two club mates engaging romantically? She doesn't. At all. In fact, she welcomes it because that would mean Hachiman would no-longer be able to justify his loneliness, it means she wins.

So why did it feel like she was at the bottom of a well, looking up? What was this constricting feeling in her chest, her mind scattering and her thoughts being pulled in all directions?

 _scratch_

* * *

A/N I'm back! I've been suffering some severe writers block, but I think I've gotten a plan for how I want the plot of this story to go. Expect faster uploads! Do you guys like large uploads, spaced over a greater amount of time, or quick short uploads?

smash that fav button and review thx


	4. Chapter 4

Yuigahama walked towards the department store, swinging her purse back and forth, humming her signature tune.

Today she was going to buy some new glasses, and if she saw something cute at the store, that too. It was right after school on what shouldhave been the calm sort of Thursday afternoons that leaves students snoring on their desks.

But instead of peaceful complaints and grumbles, there was a sense of tension in the air today. Ebina went on a full-fledged Yaoi rampagemode where she insisted all the boys hold hands and was specifically interested in Hachiman and Hayama getting closer. While that was in noway out of character for her, it felt forced and overdone, even for Ebina.

Yumiko felt like a dog with her haunches raised, snapping at all who dare approach her and shadowing the members of her group, particularly Yuigahama.

Hachiman and Hayama were the only ones that stayed exactly the same today, and it a relief have some sense of normalcy.

Hayama was still Hayama, unfettered, undisturbed by the storm starting around him. He wore the same smile, used the same phrases, anddid the same things that he always had done and probably always will do. He held himself to the standard of perfection in all things, his sociallife included, so something so seemingly little had no chance of affecting him.

Hachiman was the flip side of the coin. He had so little impact on the class, (Sorry Hikki..) that any possible difference would have goneunnoticed. Instead of holding himself to the highest standard, he had absolutely no standard and no expectations placed on him.

Huh, now that Yuigahama considered it, that freedom must be kinda nice.

She had always thought that the way Hikki lived his school life was sorta sad, and he must be pretty lonely with nobody to talk to. And he probably was, but sometimes Yuigahama was envious of him not having to conform to anything and being able to do whatever he even though Hikki was still the same as ever in class today, she had the distinct sense he was trying to avoid her. Or rather, he was trying to avoid being associated with her.

Which kinda hurt.

But Yuigahama wasn't stupid either. Well, most of the time anyway. She had known Hikki long enough to get a sense for who he was and what his patterns were. His solutions had a particular messy quality inherent to them, as if as a baker Hachiman needed to break a great amount of eggs in order to make his solution omelets.

She had the faint sense that Hikki had a hand in whatever was happening now, and he had a plan of some sort prepared.

 _Eghh_ , just thinking about all the potential plotting made her head hurt.

She just hoped he wouldn't go to the desperate length of self-sacrifice this time, like he had done all those times before. There wasn't any need for that sort of thing anyway, right?

Yuigahama smiled to herself, mood slightly improved and sauntered towards the glass doors of the optometrists.

* **Brding** *

Yuigahama took her phone out with a fluid grace that only comes through constant repetition, and checked her text messages

..:*Komachi: Heyy Yuighama-san!. I got a question for yoouu~.

*Yui*:Ehh..? what is it?

..:*Komachi: it's about my Onni-chan. he's not telling me something

*Yui*: Hikki?

.?.:*?Komachi: Yep yep?. Did you guys go out last Monday?

Yuigahama's cheeks flushed red, and she paused in momentary confusion. Monday was when... Oh, I guess that's what she thinks.

Should she even tell Komachi about it?

*Yui*: It wasn't like that (/w\\).. Hikki's just nice, that's all

* * *

Somewhere, far far away(Hikigaya residency)-

Komachi was collapsed in her futon,limbs splayed and blanket-half covered because for her it had been a lazy Thursday afternoon.

She felt like it would have been bad taste to ask Yuigahama about their date immediately after, so she had held off until today to get all the juicy details.

Normally she would've grilled Onni-chan immediately after but he was being curiously quiet about the entire thing.

.?.:*?Komachi:"hmmm...I didn't even ask if you were going out,you guys could've gone somewhere as friends. Suspicious!"

*Yui*: we just spent a small part of the afternoon together..

.?.:*?Komachi:So how was it? Did anything special happen? Any developments I should know about, maybe~~."

Yuigahama flushed, and considered exactly how much she wanted to confide in Komachi-chan.

*Yui*:"No. Though.. we sorta hugged..."

.?.:*?Komachi:"Ehhh! You sure this my brother? Did you get the wrong Hachiman?"

*Yui*: "Your brother's weird sometimes, but he...

 _(*Yui* is typing)_

 _(...)_

 _(*Yui*is typing)_

helped me with something really important that day. He's really dependable.. and brave. Can you thank him for me?"

Yuigahama, being Yuigahama, constantly forgot to thank Hikki for saving her that day, even though Hikki was the only thing on her mind as of late.

.?.:*?Komachi:"Does that "something" have anything to do with how he came home looking like he was run over by a train?"

*Yui*:"It was just a .. small accident. He fell to save me from tripping and bruised himself."

In Yuigahama's defense, being a good liar isn't really a skill that you should be proud of having. She didn't really have practice with that sort of thing.

.?.:*?Komachi:"that doesn't really explain the bruises he had on his face. Did he faceplant somehow? And why did he look so tired?

 _(*Yui*is typing)_

Komachi heard her brother clanking downstairs, presumably to search the fridge for his ambrosia, the legendary "MAX COFFEE."

Given the amount of the sugary concoction he drank, she wouldn't be surprised if his blood was colored brown.

 _[Komachi is calling]_

 ***brding***

"Komachi? I told you he was just looking out for.."

"Forget about that for now. You wanted to thank my brother? Here you go~~"

"KOMACHI? komachi? Mou.."

Komachi bounded towards her brother, pried his hands apart before he could react, and thrust the phone into his palms. Hachiman, clearly half awake, stared at her groggily.

She leaned towards him,whispered

"It's from a special someooneee.."

and winked. Hachiman, still in his sleep-haze, brought the phone up to his ear and made a shooing motion towards Komachi with the other hand.

"Yeah,yeah. You're the cutest in the world."

Yuigahama, in the middle of looking at a pair of half-circled purple reading glasses, squealed and drew some curious looks from the other customers. Her hands flew up to her face and she dropped slowly to her knees,unable to remain standing.

"Hikki? Wha...? uhmm.."

If there was a sound that sounded like blushing, it was this sound. You could almost feel the flush of her face in the excited squeaks she made.

Hachiman was now fully awake, startled into clarity by his slip-up.

"Wai-wait it's not.."

"Tthanks Hikki. You know, you're kind of cute someti-"

"I said, it's not like that. I kinda.. meant to say it to my sister."

"Huh? wait. Really?"

Yugiahama paused for a moment, realizing her own slip-up.

"BAKA HIKKI! SISCON! PERVERT!"

"It-it was just a joke, honest. It's not what it sounds like."

"AHO!(I believe this is a standard insult in Japanese.) ECHII!

"Hey Yui,isn't that a little too far? Can't a brother thnk his sister is cute?"

"SUPER SISCON! LOLICON! Geez, Hikki. You can't lead people on like that..."

Hachiman made a "lead what on? what is she talking about?" face, and monotoned

"I didn't eveen know that this was you on the phone. Yui, why did Komachi want me to talk to you?"

She seemed angry, and for the life of him, Hachiman couldn't figure out why.

"Hmph. It's complicated now...I was going to say something but I got made me forget, Hikki!"

Hachiman's expression transformed, now a "made you forget? how on earth can you blame this on me" face, which was oddly similar to his "lead what on? what is she talking about" face.

Komachi squealed a little bit at their nicknames for each other. It was cute, in a way, how they flirted around each other, both uncertain at what song they were dancing to, or if they were dancing at all.

From afar, her brother doesn't seem like much of a or otherwise. He scowls at happy couples. He rants about modern promiscuity. His back is slumped and he moves with all the grace of a stumbling awkward highschool student.

But Komachi knew quite a bit about her brother. She sat with him as he grew, from hopeful, to forlorn, to bitter. She read the descriptions of the light romantic novels he used to be fond of and witnessed his clumsy poetry in pursuit of some poor maiden.

He would never admit it in a million years,but she knew her brother was a hopeless romantic at heart. The hard shell of caustic indifference that Hikagaya used in place of armor betrayed a soft interior core.

And buried deep beneath the protection he built for himself were the dance classes he took, his hopeless dreaming for a happy ending.

She remembered the excitement as he demonstrated the waltz with an imaginary partner in the living room.

Black eyes were lit up daydreaming about his unfortunate target as his mind played through imaginary scenarios, where he could be the prince charming that leaps in for a dance and sweeps the princess off her feet. He wanted to be the hero he saw in western films, proper, kind, charismatic and commanding.

It honestly made her a bit sad, to see that eagerness be stomped out.

But it was alright now! He had two-maybe even three, the way he was talking about the new student council president- great potential candidates.

It looked like the pink one, Yuigahama, was making the first move. And Komachi was happy for her. Lord knows that her Onni-chan would have never done anything, and the sophisticated one seemed to be of a similar mindset.

And although Hachiman hates girls like Yui as a matter of principle, it's only just that. A matter of principle. Yuigahama was obviously into her daft brother, and even though he refuses to show any amount of affection to anyone besides Komachi, she could tell he had a soft spot for both of his club-mates.

Maybe spring maiden Hachiman would leap out of his cocoon and embrace his true feelings.

Yeah, and maybe his English teacher gets married.

Hachiman strolled back to Komachi with her phone in hand. He was clearly wrapping up some sort of secret conversation, speaking in a hushed, urgent tone.

"So try not to.. mention.."

"It's alright.. it'll be.."

"Ok, Ok. I got school work to do.

From where she stood, Komachi could faintly hear Yui's voice from the buzz in the speaker.

"Mou Hikki. I don't think you even do homework. You're probably going to play videogames, or whatever boys do."

"Whatever boys do? Don't lump me in with the riajjus. I don't participate in the hobbies of those... things."

"Seriously gross ."

"Goodbye."

Hachiman let out a long sigh and handed the phone off to Komachi. As Komachi reached to take it, there was what sounded like a sudden intake of breath from the other end.

 _*Mwha*_

The strange sound, suspiciously similar to the sound of a pair of lips coming into contact with the receiver, hung in the air. Hachiman let go of her phone like it was on fire and jerked back, glancing nervously towards Komachi.

Komachi raised her head and there, plastered on her face, was the biggest and smuggest grin he had ever seen.

"She's never going to let me live this down."

* * *

School was terrible. Has always been terrible. Probably will always be terrible.

But today it was worse than usual. As I feared, Fujio-san and Gako-san were begining to stir up some trouble. You'd think that after losing so convincingly, they would play it safe,be at least a little bit abashed and regretful, but nope.

They had to get revenge or they couldn't call themselves men anymore.

It's weird, how the people that have the least tend to value pride the most. Maybe it's how things worked, the small victories become more important when you have no large ones to act as backdrop.

They jeered, they glared, when they were unable to do either they growled and flipped me off.

To a weathered loner veteran like me, their attacks were dust on the wind. I was most worried about after they got bored of me and started to look for another victim.

The two man wrecking squad first started trying to spread rumors about me. They went up to some of the slightly more popular kids and said, "Hey did you hear about how Hikagaya.." And every single time,without fail, they got the answer _"Who's that?"_

It would have been funny if it wasn't also a little depressing. Fujio-san was undaunted and pressed on, as his brother was semi-popular and had connections.

Gako-san came up with stories designed to stain my reputation and ostracize me, and Fujio-san delivered them to his brother and the few people in the class who were willing to listen. They planned to ruin my social life.

Let me say that again. Ruin. My. Social. Life.

Now that was funny. It was so funny, in fact, I almost burst out laughing when I realized what they were doing. Sensei thought I was hyperventilating and wanted to send me to the nurse, but I recovered and managed to keep my face straight for the rest of the class.

Unsurprisingly nothing they did had any affect on me. It's hard to kill that which has no life. (1)

But the hamsters in their heads were starting to run faster. The wheels were starting to turn. After a solid week of futile attempts, they were beginning to think "Hmm..., Maybe we should switch targets?"

And this was bad news. Really bad news. Because the only other target of their revenge was Yuigahama, and she wasn't really equipped to defend herself.

Normally, for the other popular students like Ebina or Yumiko, this wouldn't be much of a problem. Ferocity and position were written into Yumiko, part of her deserved royal inheritance as Queen.

Ebina was so unabshedly Ebina that nothing could touch her, and any attempts at insults would be brushed off with a "that's just how she is" or "everybody has their quirks."

Yuigahama was different. All people, to some extent, play a character that's built on other's expectations of them. And instead of the character flowing to fit you, you change and bend to fit their perceptions.

It's easy to find flaws in her character, like I have. The "nice","ditsy","kind" girl. There's no such thing. Some people don't know this and should, some people do and don't care,

and most people do and are still slightly offended when they realize that everyone is given the same treatment.

Mild offense ferments quickly into anger, trust me. I would know.

That, combined with the fact that people simply aren't scared of Yuigahama like they are of Yumiko, makes her a vulnerable target.

Vulnerable and ignorant. A dangerous combination.

I'm here though, so things should be all right. Nobody else needs to hurt. It should be a simple job, to remove the will or the ability to fight from these guys.

Classes ended, the bell rang, and I headed off towards the clubroom.

Yuigahama took my spot, AGAIN. She held her bag in front of her patiently, a new set of orange half-circle glasses over her eyes. They suited her.

"Yahallo, Hikki!"

Women, it's been the fifth time this week! And it's friday! You've stolen my spot from me. I know I didn't write my name on it, but you could at least ask me for ownership. I don't see a lease in your hand. I never signed away my rights.

What is this flagrant breach of the contract?

Didn't you have things to do? Wait, actually..

"Yo, Yui. You waited for me again this time..."

"Mhm! You never really wait for me anyway."

She nodded her head in aparrent self-satisfaction.

"But I used to use that exact spot to wait until you were ready."

IT"S MY SPOT LADY. Give it back, it's all I have in the world besides my precious little sister.

"Yeah, and now it's me waiting for you! Role swap!"

Yuigahama raised her index fingers and did a twisting motion.

"Still though, what about the people you talked to before? Don't you need to go socialize?"

Huh, me lecturing people about socializing. It's like a tow truck that' broken down or can of diet MAX COFFEE. Ironic and pointless.

"We don't really talk about important stuff anyway.. I'd rather get to club early with you."

Yuigahama gave a cheeky smile and motioned for me to follow her. She lead the way towards the club, shuffling her feet quick so I was stuck lagging behind her.

It's alright. I'm used to people not wanting to stand with me. You'll probably catch a new strain of hiki-cooties.

She turned around to face me once we were right outside of the classroom. The sun that shined through the fall leaves blazed a crisp red light onto her.

"I mean, Yukino was really mad about us being later earlier in the week right? We both have to make it on time, for the club."

Good to see I wasn't the only one embarrassed at that abrupt turn of phrase.

Seriously, If I was any other guy I would have misunderstood. Heck, I would have misunderstood the second you met me and asked for baking advice.

Thank god I see the world clearly now.

The old me would've immediately assumed Yuigahama, bouncy energetic and friendly, liked a guy like me.

The old me would've assumed that Yukinoshita, all cold edges and fumbling, liked a guy like me.

It was all complete rubbish. Thinking like that is complete rubbish. But somehow, I've grown close to these people.

Remember back when all of this just started?

I had heard of Yukino Yukinoshita before, of course. Who hadn't?

The untouchable ice queen that rises above it all, a subject of legend. Before I met her, I thought that her tale was overblown. People like that don't really exist, they only belong to stories as examples.

Imagine my surprise when she appears right in front of me and conscripts me into this bogus new club.

And eventually we all grew closer, all three of us. I gained a better understanding of our fearless leader. She was deeply flawed, immensley capable, no longer the beauty of a clear sheet of ice, but rather the breathtaking fragility of cracked frost right before it snaps.

"The club, r-right."

Why was I hesitating? And why did my heart twinge when thinking about our other club member?

 **A/N: Who's gonna win the mc bowl? Yui or Yukino?**

 **{who do you want to win the mc bowl?)**

 **dun DUN DUNNNNN**

 **finally finished this chapter. Sorry, sorry, past me thought this would be a piece of cake.**

 **Yeah I've been busy writing essays and stuff so this chapter might have a been a little weird, style-wise.**

 **Do you think there's too much introspective stuff? I really appreciate critisiscm, cause I need to get better to improve my application.**

 **This chapter is pretty long(to me) for the ones who wanted longer chapters.**

 **smash that review button.**

 **EDIT: In an effort to fit this fic more to the region of japan, where it belongs, I have edited previous chapter slightly to cut down on western references.**

 **sugoi**


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